The unethical ways in which many marketing agencies list the marketing services they are providing to their clients is absolutely frustrating. Our clients frequently begin conversations about hiring us to do their marketing by providing us with a list of ‘services’ their previous marketing agency claimed to provide within their marketing fee.

These marketing agencies often feel that they must provide a long list of services in order to make their clients feel like they’re making a sound investment. However, when they misrepresent many services as being monthly, when they’re really only a one-time or periodic service. They end up making agencies that are being honest look bad.

Unfortunately, there aren’t any set standards or guidelines for how marketing services should be represented. We refuse to misrepresent any of the services we provide, thus our only option is to educate the client.

If you currently have a marketing agency or are thinking of hiring an agency, these are some of the things you should look out for:

1. How do they refer to their social media engagement? Are they posting or are they actively searching for relevant content to share with your audience.
2. Do they use a management program to distribute content across all platforms, which hinders their ability to engage your audience?
3. Does their list include periodic evaluation of their marketing techniques and adjustments as necessary?
4. Do they repeat the same services under different sections?
5. Do they focus on actions rather than strategy?
6. Are they doing marketing for any of your competition? If so, what do they do differently for you?
7. Do they make a lot of guarantees that are difficult for you to assess?

Generally, most savvy business owners can tell the difference between good and bad marketing, even if they cannot pinpoint the specifics. Before signing any agreement and potentially wasting money, you should ask the marketing agency to provide you with samples of their work for clients who are currently retaining similar services.

If you’re not convinced by what you see on those clients’ respective websites or social media pages, then you should continue searching for a marketing agency that places a stronger focus on quality.

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